Chayanov - Fuller

Chayanov argues that the family and its composition in the peasant farm economy is what determined the “economic situation”. I found especially interesting that the family hadn’t been examined as the defining operative of the economic structure. Chayanov also acknowledges the dynamic nature of the family, and describes a cycle that a family structure goes through. The family has many dynamic aspects to it that I was surprised when Chayanov managed to back his ideas up with numbers. What other aspects of the family (traditions, networks, or lack of, etc.) have an impact on this? This may be partially explained when Chayanov states that, depending on the location (which can also be associated with culture, traditions), the family functionality differs. I’ve been surprised in seeing the dynamic applications of the family – so far, we’ve seen that the family has been a basis for taxation, household structure, a network of miniaturized economic trade, and here, as an equation for economic output on these farms.